1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer unit, a keyboard and a keyboard cover, and more particularly, is suitably applied to a desktop personal computer and a keyboard and a keyboard cover used therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some personal computers are constructed by connecting a liquid crystal display to a main body part that executes various signal processing, with a prescribed first signal cable and to a keyboard with a prescribed second signal cable.
In such a personal computer, various commands entered with the keyboard are supplied to the main body part through the second cable, and the main body part executes signal processing according to these various commands.
At this time, furthermore, the main body part transmits a video signal indicating the content of the signal processing to the liquid crystal display through the first cable to display an image based on the video signals on a liquid crystal panel provided on the liquid crystal display. Thus, a operator can visually confirm the contents of the signal processing content.
The keyboard has spaces between the keyboard itself and a set of keys and between the keys, so that it is easy for dust to enter inside the keyboard and it is difficult to remove the entered dust because a keyboard of a desktop computer or the like does not have a cover when it is not used. Therefore, it has been tried to cover a surface having keys arranged thereon (hereinafter, referred to as a key-arranged surface) with a keyboard cover made of transparent resin which has a form suiting the arranged keys, and enabling key operation even if the cover is put on, or to cover the key-arranged surface with a keyboard cover made of cloth when the keyboard is not used.
On the other hand, since a surface on which a keyboard is put and the lowermost keys of the arranged keys are on different levels, the hands of a operator bend backward when using the keys and he often gets tired from pushing the keys. This is the reason a palm rest is utilized to get rid of the above difference.
By the way, in such a personal computer, a liquid crystal display is generally disposed at a stated position on a desk, and the keyboard is disposed at a desired position on the panel side of the liquid crystal display. The operator manipulates the keyboard under such an arrangement.
However, the case where a desk which a personal computer is put on is comparatively narrow and in addition, the case of spreading reference materials or the like on the desk during a pause in a keyboard operation, it is necessary to temporary stow the keyboard into some stowing place. However, it is difficult to keep a keyboard stowing space on such a comparatively-narrow desk.
To solve the above problem, some personal computer is constructed as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
Such a personal computer 1 is constructed by connecting a main body part (not shown in the figure) to a cathode-ray tube 3 with a first signal cable 2 and to a keyboard 5 with a second signal cable 4.
In this case, in the personal computer 1, the cathode-ray tube 3 is disposed on a stand 6 having legs 6A and 6B. While using the keyboard 5, this is disposed at a desired position on the panel side 3A of the cathode-ray tube 3 (FIG. 1A). On the other hand, while spreading materials on the desk as described above, the keyboard 5 is moved between the legs 6A and 6B of the stand 6 to be stowed under the cathode-ray tube 3 (FIGS. 1A and 1B).
However, space between the legs 6A and 6B of the stand 6 is decided depending on the longitudinal length of the keyboard 5, and the stand 6 is made so as to be larger than the keyboard 5. Therefore, setting space for the stand 6 that is larger than the keyboard 5 must be kept in order to keep the stowing space for the keyboard 5 under the cathode-ray tube 3, so that the stowing efficiency is remarkably low.
On the other hand, a keyboard cover made of cloth which is used for preventing dust from entering needs its stowing space while being not used, and it is difficult to keep the stowing space, especially, on the narrow desk. Further, with reference to a keyboard cover made of transparent resin, keys can be seen even if the keyboard is covered with it, so that the keyboard does not look good while being not used. In addition, while the keyboard is covered with it, it is difficult to see letters written on the keys even if it is transparent. And the keyboard covered with it is no good to touch while being used, so that it is difficult to push the keys while the key-arranged surface is covered with it.
In addition, the conventional palm rest and the keyboard are not integrated, so that, off course, stowing space is required for the time when the palm rest is not used and it is difficult to keep the stowing space on, especially, the narrow space.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a computer unit, a keyboard and a keyboard cover which can improve the stowing efficiency for the keyboard.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of a computer unit having a keyboard to give various commands to a main body part which execute various signal processing and a display means for displaying the contents of signal processing supplied from the main body part on a display panel. And the keyboard has a concavity to insert a base for supporting the display panel as the display means on the side opposite to the side on which various control keys are arranged to enter the various commands to be supplied to the main body part.
By bringing the keyboard close to the display panel and inserting the base into the concavity, the keyboard can be stowed effectively using the base without using any special storing member.
Moreover, in the present invention according to claim 4 to 6, a concavity is provided on the other side of the keyboard, opposite to one side on which various control keys are disposed to enter prescribed commands, to insert the base for supporting a prescribed display panel.
By bringing the keyboard close to the display panel and inserting the base into the concavity, the keyboard can be stowed effectively using the keyboard and the base without using any storing member.
Further, in the present invention, for the keyboard according to claim 7, a keyboard cover having a first and second parts connected to each other at a connecting portion is provided. The entire flat form of the first and second parts suits the form of the key-arranged surface of the keyboard, so that when the keyboard is not used, the first and the second parts open in a flat become the keyboard cover.
Furthermore, the first part has a first rocking shaft on the side opposite to that for connecting the second part, and is connected to the edge part on the lowest row of keys in the keyboard with the first rocking shaft. The part for connecting the first part to the second part is also a rocking shaft and referred to as a second rocking shaft. Therefore, by opening the first and the second parts covering the keyboard and bringing them close to an manipulator, they are bend in a mount shape by rocking centering the first and the second rocking shafts, and are folded on the operator""s side rather than the keyboard.
In addition, the second part is wider than the first part in the vertical direction to the first and the second rocking shafts. Therefore, when the first and the second parts are folded, the edge part of the second part opposite to the first part is placed on the edge side of the lowest row of keys in the keyboard. That is, when the keyboard is used, a triangular space is formed by the first part and the second part which is slant from the edge of the keyboard on the lowest row of keys to the keyboard placing surface, so that the folded first and second parts are changed to the palm rest.
Furthermore, in the present invention, projections are provided on the both sides of the keyboard in a vertical direction to the first and second rocking shafts of the keyboard cover so as to project toward the keyboard cover which covers the keyboard. As a result, a gap between the keyboard and the keyboard cover is narrowed on the both sides of the keyboard in the vertical direction to the first and second rocking shafts of the keyboard cover and moreover, the keyboard and the key cover look one body.
Furthermore, in the present invention, angle adjusting parts for adjusting an angle the keyboard are provided on the surface opposite to the key-arranged surface and on the side opposite to the lowest row of keys. As a result, the angle of the keyboard can be adjusted with the angle adjusting parts so as to easily manipulate the keys in using the keyboard.
In addition, the angle adjusting parts for adjusting the angle of the keyboard is provided on the surface opposite to the key-arranged surface and on the side opposite to the lowest row of keys, so that even if the angle of the keyboard is adjusted with the angle adjusting parts, the height of the edge of the keyboard on the lowest row side of keys from the keyboard placing surface is not changed. In addition, the keyboard cover can rock with the first and second rocking shafts as a center, so that even if the angle of the keyboard is adjusted with the angle adjusting parts, the keyboard cover used as a palm rest does not rise up from the keyboard placing surface.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the first and second parts are connected with the connecting part, the entire plane surface of the first and second parts suit the form of the surface having keys arranged thereon suits, so that when the keyboard is not used, the first and second part are opened in a flat form to become the keyboard cover.
In addition, the fist parts has the first rocking shaft on the edge opposite to the second part, and the connecting part between the first and second part is the second rocking shaft. Therefore, if the first part is attached to the edge of the keyboard on the lowest row side of keys with the first rocking shaft, the first and second parts are bent in a mountain shape with the first and second rocking shaft as a center by opening the first and second parts covering the keyboard and by bringing them close to the manipulator, and moreover, they are folded on the manipulator side rather than the keyboard.
And the width of the second part is a wider than that of the first part in the vertical direction to the first and second rocking shafts, so that when the first and second parts are folded, the edge of the second part opposite to the first part are placed on the edge of the keyboard on the lowest row side of keys. That is, when the keyboard is used, a triangular space is formed by the folded first part and the folded second part which is slant from the edge of the keyboard on the lowest row side of keys to the keyboard placing surface, so that the folded first and second parts are changed to the palm rest.
Further, in the present invention, a pair of tongue parts, which is projecting toward the keyboard under the state where the second part is above the keyboard, is provided on the both ends of the second part in the vertical direction to the second rocking shaft. So that even if the first and the second parts are made of thin plates, the first and the second parts can be easily opened and folded by putting the fingers of the both hands to the pair of tongue parts from the both sides of the second part. Moreover, since the tongue parts project toward the key-arranged surface of the keyboard, the tongue parts do not project outward in either state where the first and the second parts are used as the keyboard cover or as the palm rest.
Further, in the present invention, the keyboard cover is removable from the keyboard, so that the keyboard cover can be attached/removed to/from the keyboard as required.
Further, in the present invention, sticking tape is provided to attach the keyboard cover to the keyboard, so that the keyboard cover can be attached to a keyboard which does not have a hinge structure.
Furthermore, in the present invention, ribs are provided on the first and second parts, so that it is hard to deform the first and second parts even if the power is added from outside to the first and second parts. In addition, the ribs are provided on the surfaces of the first and second parts which face the keyboard, so that they are not bare outside in either state where the first and the second parts are used as the keyboard cover or as the palm rest. In addition, the ribs are provided on the surfaces of the first and second parts which face the keyboard and at the parts which do not touch the keys, which prevents the keys of the keyboard from being pressed by the keyboard cover even when the first and second parts are used as a keyboard cover.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the entire plane surface of the first and second parts corresponds to only a part other than hot keys on the keyboard, so that it can cover the keyboard not only when the keyboard is not used but also when the keyboard is used but the keys other than hot keys are not used.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the projections are provided on the surface of the first and second parts, which do not face the keys of the keyboard. As a result, it is possible to prevent the keys of the keyboard from being pressed by the keyboard cover because the projections touch the parts other than the keys of the keyboard when the first and second pats are used as a keyboard cover.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the projections are provided so as to face each other when they swing centering the first and second rocking shaft and to fit each other when the first and second parts are used as a palm rest.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.